Whether it’s financial or practical, external support is always welcomed by small business owners, regardless of what sector they are operating in, particularly when those changes can save them time and money. And the 31 Local Enterprise Offices across the country have long been on hand to offer grants, mentoring services and advice for companies at various stages of their business development.
The Digital for Business Programme is one of the many supports available to clients. It involves a business audit, conducted by a Digital consultant, which will assess all aspects of the business and identify which areas can be digitalised. This will lead to improved competitiveness and productivity, while also helping to save time and money.
To date, many business owners across the country have availed of and benefited from the initiative - and since September 2024, following completion of the programme, they can now apply for one or two Grow Digital Vouchers, up to a combined value of €5,000, of which 50% is contributed by the government. This new incentive provides an additional bonus to business owners and will help fund the implementation of proposed plans suggested by the Digital consultant which could include stock flow software, payment systems, cybersecurity software and more.
With the Digital for Business Programme, we assign an expert digital consultant to sit down and chat with the small business, look at how they’re operating and identify areas where improvement is possible
John Magee, Chair of the Local Enterprise Offices says the initiative is designed to give Local Enterprise Office clients a digital edge.
“With the Digital for Business Programme, we assign an expert digital consultant to sit down and chat with the small business, look at how they’re operating and identify areas where improvement is possible through digital adoption,” he said. “The consultant will then consider the existing digital systems in the business to identify, with the business owner, potential gaps which need exploring. They will also discuss whether there are opportunities which will help to optimise existing systems and integrate them with new digital solutions to make the business more efficient. The consultant will then offer guidance on the implementation of new or enhanced digital solutions.”
Magee says that the programme is easy to access via Local Enterprise Offices all over Ireland and is open to any small business with up to 50 employees - including bars, restaurants, beauticians, shops, etc - providing they have been trading for at least six months. Then, once they have availed of the programme, they can apply for the Grow Digital Voucher.
“This new voucher offers small and medium businesses with up to 50 employees financial support to embrace digital technology,” he said. “The voucher allows a company to receive a grant of up to €5,000 to support their digitalisation journey and it can be invested in software and training/IT configuration. There is fantastic scope with the voucher as it can support the individual business’ digital needs in different ways, which include website and e-commerce development, or it can be used to integrate analytics software (including AI systems) or to support new cyber security software.
“It can also support the costs associated with expert assistance in setting up new software; and/or integration of new software systems or ICT processes or where the business management or team require training to engage with any new systems.
Importantly, it helps the small business to remain competitive, because we see that new technology can make a real difference to business operations
“So, there are many benefits both to the voucher itself and to digital adoption – these include helping the business to reduce operational stress and to eliminate paperwork as well as taking people away from repetitive and time-consuming tasks. Many small business really appreciate these benefits as it can also boost efficiency and help them to reach new customers. And crucially, it helps the small business with their customer relationship management. But, most importantly, it helps the small business to remain competitive, because we see that new technology can make a real difference to business operations. In simple terms the Grow Digital Voucher can help small businesses to perform better and grow faster.”
With this in mind, John Magee says there is no reason for entrepreneurs not to avail of the supports offered by their Local Enterprise Office.
“I would strongly encourage small business owners to contact their local LEO for a chat about how we can help their digital journey,” he said. “We have experts who can offer tailored advice and can point the small business owner in the right direction. There’s a very simple application form – it genuinely couldn’t be easier.”
For more information on all available supports and contact details for every Local Enterprise Offices around the country, visit www.localenterprise.ie/digital
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